Recipe

Whole Juicy Roast Chicken

Rinse bird and pat dry.
Rub a healthy dose of salt into the skin and the cavity.
Let sit and bring to room temperature.
Rub bird with olive oil.
Season with cracked black pepper.
Stuff cavity with whole garlic, herbs of choice (fresh rosemary, thyme, tarragon, etc.) and plug cavity with half a lemon, cut side facing in.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place bird in oven on roasting pan, breast side up.
When it is as golden brown as you want it to look—about 20 – 25 minutes depending on the size of the bird—turn the oven off and let the chicken sit in the cooling oven for 45 – 60 minutes. Don’t open the door during this time—you want to keep the heat in.

Check for doneness by inserting meat thermometer at the fattest part of the leg. Temperature should read 165 – 170 degrees Fahrenheit.